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The First Book of Kings 4

4 During the time when Solomon was the king of Israel, 2 these were his most important officials. Azariah son of Zadok was the high priest. 3 Elihoreph son of Shisha and Ahijah son of Shisha were the official secretaries. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the man who reported to the people everything that Solomon decided they should do. 4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the army commander. People still honored and respected Zadok and Abiathar because they had been high priests. 5 Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors. Another of Nathan’s sons, Zabud, was an important official who was the king’s chief advisor. 6 Ahishar supervised the servants who worked in the royal palace. Adoniram son of Abda supervised the men whom the king required to work for him.

7 Solomon divided Israel into twelve districts. He appointed a man to supervise the collection of food from each district for him and the others who lived and worked in the palace. Each district governor was responsible for providing the food for one month in each year. 8 Here is a list of their names. Ben Hur was the governor for the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lived. 9 Ben Deker was the governor for the cities of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan. 10 Ben Hesed was the governor for the region of Arubboth, which included the city of Sokoh and the area of Hepher. 11 Ben Abinadab was the governor for all of Naphoth Dor. (He married Solomon’s daughter Taphath.) 12 Baana son of Ahilud was the governor for the cities of Taanach and Megiddo and for the whole region near the city of Zarethan on the plain below Jezreel, from the city of Beth Shan as far as the city of Abel Meholah, including the city of Jokmeam. 13 Ben Geber was the governor for the region of Ramoth Gilead. This region included the villages in Gilead that had belonged to Jair son of Manasseh. This region also included the area of Argob in Bashan. In that area there were 60 large cities. Each city had a wall around it, and the gates in the walls had bronze bars. 14 Ahinadab son of Iddo was the governor for the city of Mahanaim and the surrounding area. 15 Ahimaaz was the governor for the territory of the tribe of Naphtali. (He also married one of Solomon’s daughters. Her name was Basemath.) 16 Baana son of Hushai was the governor for the territory of the tribe of Asher and the city of Bealoth. 17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was the governor for the territory of the tribe of Issachar. 18 Shimei son of Ela was the governor for the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. 19 Geber son of Uri was the governor for the region of Gilead. That region included the area that Sihon, the king of the Amorites, had formerly ruled. It also included the area that Og, the king of Bashan, had formerly ruled. One governor, Geber, was responsible for this entire region even though it was very large.

20 There were very many people in Judah and Israel at that time, just as there are very many grains of sand on the seashore. They had plenty of food to eat and beverages to drink, and they were happy. 21 Solomon’s kingdom extended from the Euphrates River in the northeast to the region of Philistia in the west and to the border of Egypt in the southwest. Throughout his reign, he ruled the people groups in that area, and they brought him tribute. 22 In order to feed all the people who lived and worked at his palace, every day Solomon needed more than 3,000 kilograms of fine flour and more than 6,000 kilograms of regular flour. 23 He also needed ten fat oxen, 20 cows that had grazed in pastures, and 100 sheep. The food for the palace also included wild game such as deer, gazelle, and roebucks, as well as birds that people had fed to make them fat. 24 Solomon needed such great supplies because his kingdom included the entire area west of the Euphrates River from the city of Tiphsah in the northeast to the city of Gaza in the southwest. All of the kings in that area were his subjects. And he had peaceful relations with all of the rulers of the kingdoms that were next to his. 25 For the whole time that Solomon reigned, the people of Judah and Israel were safe throughout their entire territory. They were able to plant and harvest abundant crops without anyone disturbing them. 26 Solomon had 40,000 stalls for the horses that pulled his chariots. He had 12,000 men who rode on horses. 27 The twelve district governors supplied the food that King Solomon needed for himself and for all those who ate with him in the palace. Each governor supplied food for one month each year. They provided everything that Solomon needed in the palace. 28 They also brought barley and straw for the horses that pulled the chariots and for the fast horses that messengers rode. Just as the king required them to do, they brought these things to the stalls where the horses stayed.

29 God enabled Solomon to be wise and to understand things very well. God also enabled Solomon to learn about and remember a huge number of things. 30 Solomon was wiser than all of the wise men in the region to the east of Israel and all of the wise men in Egypt. 31 People considered Ethan the Ezrahite and the three sons of Mahol, Heman, Calcol, and Darda, to be very wise. But Solomon was even wiser than they were and wiser than anyone else. People in all the nearby countries heard about Solomon. 32 Solomon composed 3,000 proverbs, and he wrote 1,005 songs. 33 He taught people about various kinds of plants, from the huge cedar trees that grow in Lebanon to the tiny hyssop plants that grow in cracks in walls. He also taught people about wild animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. 34 People came from many different parts of the world to listen to the wise things that Solomon said. Many kings learned how wise Solomon was, and they sent people to listen to him and then return and tell them what Solomon had said.

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UST by section 1 KI 4:1

The First Book of Kings 4

UST by section 1 KI 4:1